Dear friends, Our names are Ilia Maksimov and Semyon Kastritskiy, we are 2 nd course students of the Lyceum of Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus, and we`ve written this article about the environmental issues of Gomel.

The Environmental Issues of Gomel, Belarus: Chernobyl Catastrophe and the Present We live Gomel. It is a beautiful city in the southern-eastern part of Belarus.

Gomel stands on the river Sozh, has long wide streets, nice parks and squares, and the landscape near it is very picturesque.

There are a lot of landmarks both in Gomel and in Gomel region, and many tourists come to see them.

What environmental issues does our city face and how severe are these issues? Gomel and Gomel region face the consequences after Chernobyl catastrophe. A lot of harmful elements got into the air after the explosion at the atomic power station in Chernobyl, so the air and the ground got very contaminated.

There are a lot of contaminated areas in Gomel region that are not fit for living.

What are the consequences of Chernobyl catastrophe? The aftermath will last long as some chemical elements that got into the ground with the acid rain need a great period of decay. So, it is not recommended to eat mushrooms and berries picked up in forests.

Milk from village cows is also considered dangerous as they eat grass that grows on the contaminated ground.

But the greatest issue connected with Chernobyl catastrophe is numerous health problems. Cases with cancer have increased, more people have heart problems, and more babies are born with different disorders. What can be done? One of the solutions to health problems is to go regularly to the seaside to breathe the sea air full of iodine, and also to take necessary vitamins.

The consequences after Chernobyl catastrophe can be neither denied nor avoided, we have to live with them. But young people CAN and NEED take care of their health to leave after them a healthy generation.

Also, we can popularize environmental protection in the form of planting trees, cleaning the surrounding area and holding Clean-up Your Town activities.

Together we can make a difference in the environmental protection and save our country clean and beautiful.